April 11, 2025 • 41 mins
Join @thebuzzknight for this episode with Kenny Hensley and Jon Russell from the acclaimed indie-folk band The Head and the Heart as they share stories, insights and laughter along with an inside look at their creative process. The band has a new single called "Blue Embers" and a new album called "Aperture" out May 9 on Verve Forecast. They also have a 2025 North American Tour announced and this interview with Kenny and Jon takes you behind the scenes of their wonderful work. You will love their new music and their passion for their work.
For comments or suggestions write buzz@buzzknightmedia.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It was just this really exciting thing to witness and
then to introduce myself and be a part of it.
And as we got to know each other and started
playing there more often, it was, Yeah, this really kind
of addictive feeling in the room. Everybody was shown up
every week and then I don't know, it's really hard
to explain, but I've never experienced anything like that.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Welcome to another edition of the Taking a Walk podcast,
where Buzz Night digs deep into the stories of musicians,
their influences, and their creative process that connects with their community.
If you like this podcast, check out our companion podcast
hosted by Lynn Hoffman.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Called Music Save Me.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Today, Buzz is joined by two members of the indie
folk rock band The Head and the Heart. Kenny Hensley
and Jonathan Russell, will dive into their musical journey and
get the stories behind their music. Next on Taking a Walk.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Well, Kenny and John thanks for being on Taking a Walk.
And since this show is called Taking a Walk, I
have to ask you, guys, if you were to take
a walk with someone living or dead, and it could
be musical, but it doesn't have to be, who would
that individual be and where would you be taking a
(01:17):
walk with them?
Speaker 5 (01:19):
You think, Johnny want to take this first?
Speaker 6 (01:22):
Sure, I feel like I've got a few, and then
I keep every time I think about, oh, this one
for sure, I'm like, don't meet your idols. You know,
I'm gonna go with Chris Martin. I met Chris Martin
obviously cold Play. I met him at a house show
party that we actually played acoustically years ago, and he
(01:43):
was super nice. I was so nervous, and I think
he knew it, but he was really gracious and took
a took a very amount of time to speak with me.
I was really blown away by how kind he was.
And I would love to spend more time with Chris Martin.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
You've already had a talk with Chris Martin, but you'd
like a one.
Speaker 6 (02:00):
I'd like it.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
I'd like some time you have like one.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Of those things where you had a conversation with somebody
and then a couple days later you were like kicking
yourself for not saying certain things and wish you could go,
oh my god, redo it or.
Speaker 6 (02:12):
Or yeah, like you mentioned, you know, like this is
why you play music.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
It's because of you.
Speaker 6 (02:17):
Like wish I could take that back.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
And where would you go Joe.
Speaker 6 (02:23):
You know, I think I think he lives near the
beach at least in terms of la so I probably suggest,
you know, some long walk along the beach, you know,
maybe sunset, maybe find sunrise with coffee actually probably be
even better for me. Yeah, perfect, Yeah, maybe all right, Kenny,
you're up.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, you know, I was thinking about this. We were
told that this might be a question to you know,
put a little thought into it. Over the weekend. I
you know, a lot of musicians and influences crossed my mind,
and you know, of course there are many people that
I would enjoy the privilege of doing something.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Like that with.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
But the more I thought about it, I started to
kind of getting weird with it, where I started thinking,
you know, if I could go on a walk with
myself when I was younger, that would be like my
ideal situation to like talk to like going on a
nice to walk with myself when I was eighteen and
like just I don't know, maybe like gain some excitement
or like wide eyed exuberance from like that eighteen year
(03:18):
old who hadn't experienced too much in the world yet,
you know, and try to, you know, find what inspired
me back then and get some of that again.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
But I was thinking about it more and then I
kind of settled on.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
A relative, not a famous person or a musician, But
I think if I could take a walk with anybody,
it would be my mom's dad, my grandpa, who I
never met. He passed away when my mom was sixteen,
and he I've just heard stories my whole life about
this guy. He was a World War Two vet and
was shot down over Germany, survived the plane crash, ended
(03:54):
up meeting my grandma who's German, during the war, and
they ran away to Hollywood together and like lived in
Rocco at one point. Just really epic, Like you know,
has a purple heart and amazing stories, and my mom
just always has the best things to say about him.
And I know that she, you know, thinks every day
about the fact that he, you know, we never got
(04:15):
a chance to see us or have grandkids and whatnot.
And so I think I would love to go on
a long walk with him. And I think I would
do that here in Los Angeles, where I'm from and
where he was born and raised. Also, he's you know,
I'm like fourth generation Angelino, which is pretty rare and
I think it'd be fun to walk around like old
classic la with my grandpa I never got to meet.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Thanks for sharing that. Yeah, that's that's special.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
So bands are pretty fragile things, fragile entities. So what
makes the head and the heart tick is a band?
In your guys opinion.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's tough, and I mean a lot of therapy. I
guess that's not what makes us tick, but what keeps
us together. You know, we've been I've been in now
about fifteen years, and we've been through a whole lot,
you know. We Yeah, a lot of ups and downs,
a lot of a lot of moments and situations. I
think a lot of bands wouldn't have made it through.
(05:13):
But I think, like anything, you know, like getting through
the hard times and building these layers, layers and layers
of like armor, I feel like we have at this
point we can kind of get through anything. And Yeah,
we started doing therapy as a band years ago, group
therapy that's.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Kind of you know, off and on. We still do it.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
And I think having those resets as a group with
a moderator, a mediator of some sort, has been really
helpful and has really kept us going. I think it
kind of got us over the hump. I feel like
we went through periods that looking back, I think we
kind of like we made it. We got through that,
and I don't think we'll ever have to do with
that again, hopefully, you know. So yeah, I don't know
if that answers your question, but that's what comes to mind.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, Kenny, but sorry John, before I gets you. I mean,
that's so amazing that you guys have embarked on that
part of your journey. It came up in the Music
Saved Me addition of The Head and the Heart, which
I encourage folks to check out as.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well with Maddie and Charity.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So I think it's so admirable that you put in
the foreground the need for you know, just transparency on
how we're feeling and how you're feeling as a band.
So kudos to the Head and the Heart for having
that bravery.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I think, you know, not saying that we're any different
than most bands or any band, but there's you know,
six very very different personalities in this band. You know,
we somehow work well together musically and it comes together
and we love each other.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
It's like a brother sister type deal. But but you
almost couldn't.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Put together a group of more like different, you know,
neurotic or perfectionistic type people. And because of that, it's
come with a lot of struggles over the years. But
I think it also is kind of the magic that
that binds us and that separates us from from other groups.
Speaker 6 (07:07):
Yeah, and really just to add to that, because I
agree with everything Kenny has said, and maybe something that's
very obvious, but I think I've overlooked it from time
for sure, is really the thing that drew us together
in the first place, and that I think has kept
us choosing to remain even when things are very challenging.
(07:29):
Is the music chemistry. Like you know, when we were
all meeting one another in Seattle, Washington and over the years,
I guess it was like what two thousand and nine,
when we're kind of majority of us were all meeting,
Like yeah, it's not like we necessarily had something in
mind of like looking for a sound. You know, we
had all kinds of variations of players and instrumentation and
(07:51):
styles and personalities. And then for whatever reason, like when
when when these six people started playing together in our
you know, our grindy little rehearsal spot. We just it
just clicked. It was just like kind of smiling, and
everyone was just like instantly willing to want to put
in like as many hours as we could, many days
(08:12):
a week to rehearse because it just, I don't know,
it was for me at least, it was like something
I'd never experienced, you know, like true musical chemistry. And
of course, and of course there are you know, there
are hard conversations and sometimes you know it's not all
honky dory, but like in general, like it was just
the type of musical chemistry that I think that remains
(08:36):
compelling enough to put up with what is a very
challenging artistic endeavor. You know, there's a lot of compromises,
and there's a lot of personalities to deal with, and
at the end of the day, I think there were numerous,
you know, occasions to want to to just walk away
because it was just it could have been too much.
But I think the music chemistry keeps bringing us back,
(08:58):
and that's in the studio as well as on stage.
I mean, we've got to we're sitting on a new
record right now, and you know, somehow I'm yet again
like just giddy like a little child I can't wait
to get it back on stage and start playing these
new songs. And you know, we've been doing it for
a long time. You would think that that would wear off,
and it just it blows my mind how excited I
(09:20):
am to just get back on stage with these other
five people.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
So we'll talk about the new music and sort of
the creation of it. But you refer to this, but
I want you to maybe take us back a little
bit more, particularly to those you know, those those open
mic nights there at the burn Pub. When at that
pub did you first realize there was some chemistry with
(09:46):
this group of people.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
I mean, the entire the entire like experience of that
was really intoxicating. I mean even even when we weren't
necessarily there exact because the kind of burned open mind
that you were speaking of was sort of like a
revolving door.
Speaker 7 (10:05):
You know.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
It's like it's where we kind of got to try
out our different identities. You know, like one night we
would have three girls singing with us and one of
them plays flute, one of them plays glockage.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Feel like.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
A little superfluous maybe, but like let's try it out.
Because we had a buddy who had a buddy and
and it was just I don't know. It was just
like there was such a fertile music ground happening in Seattle.
And maybe it's still listed this day. I hope it's
still listed to day. But for us I can only
speak of then. I don't know. It just it just
(10:37):
felt like I don't know, Kenny, I feel like.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, I mean I can add on like yeah, I
mean for me, at least my experience, it was very
like it felt like for me, John said this, But
for me, it felt like the first time I felt
something different, Like there was this connection that I had
never experienced before. There was a feeling in rooms there,
(11:02):
like the community that was happening. And and for me
at least, I was twenty one, I you know, was
just old enough to start going to bars. I moved
up from LA by myself, didn't know anybody, so it
was really just like avoiding college, not wanting to do music,
but like just trying to like make a change, just
like hoping I'll meet somebody eventually or something or something
(11:22):
will happen, not knowing at all. And I went to Connorburn,
who was the pub we all met at. I went
down just at as a recommendation from her friend to
watch a basketball game. It was like a Laker Finals game.
And I've grown up here in LA I'm a like
lifelong Lakers fan, and so I went down to watch
this game. And it happened to be the night that
they won the NBA Championship in O nine, So they
(11:44):
beat the Orlando Magic, and I just was at this
Irish pub and it's funny to Chris, our bass player,
was bartending me that night.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
He worked there, and so I met.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I met this guy Chris, and was talking to him,
explaining him that I was new to town and I
didn't really know anybody, and because they won the game,
I kind of was like, well, I'm celebrating. I'm gonna
stay out and have more drinks and you know, enjoy
it and try to meet some people. I didn't have
any friends, and there happened to be a little show
happening that night, and John and Josiah, who had just
(12:13):
met like maybe a month or two before, were part
of that, this kind of collective playing and I just
remember sitting and watching with the idea that I just
moved to the city with the goal of pursuing music,
but literally having no plan whatsoever, thinking I might move
up to Seattle and spend three months there and move
right back to LA because I didn't meet anybody or
nothing happened. And it's like a week after I moved there,
(12:34):
and I'm sitting in this place watching John play songs
by himself, like a singer songwriter, and just being so impressed,
like like whoa, Like here's a guy who sounds really
good and like he's playing original music, Like that's amazing.
And then ten minutes later, Josiah goes up and it's
another guy and I'm like, wow, this guy's good too,
like and they're hanging out, they're friends, Like I need
(12:54):
to meet those guys. And there are other people that
would go up. You know, there was like it was
an open mic night, so there was there were some groups.
There was like a group called the beat Funkles that
only play Beatles and Simon Garfunckle covers and they were
like more silly and you know, it was stuff like that,
of course, but there were also people that took it
very seriously and we're really testing out like new original material.
And so I met John and Josaia and it was
(13:15):
just really exciting to see this thing happening. And I
had never in my life performed in front of anybody.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
I had never been in a band.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
It was kind of my secret thing that I like,
my greatest love, but I was too scared or embarrassed
or much of a perfectionist to like be out in
the world about it. Like I'd never performed and never
even told my friends I played music. It was kind
of my thing I did at home. But the hope
was when I moved to Seattle. All my friends were like,
why are you moving there. I'm like, oh, I'm gonna
be a musician, and they were like, what, Like, you
(13:42):
don't play music? But yeah, it was just this really
exciting thing to witness and then to introduce myself and
be a part of it. And as we got to
know each other and started playing there more often, it was, yeah,
this really kind of addictive feeling in the room.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
Everybody was shown up every week.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
And then I don't know, it's really hard to explain,
but I've never experienced anything like that in my life
like that, So that first six months when everything just
started to be clicking and there was something really special
there and I almost can't put words to it, but yeah,
an amazing time.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
It's a moment of Sarah Deputy, I would say, with
the Laker win and the fact that you were, you know,
surfing from couch to couch pretty much right at that.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Point in your life.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
And it's so funny talking to a lot of musicians
asking many of them, well did you have a plan
B along the way, and most of them.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Did not have a plan B.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
But it sounds like, at least with you, Kenny, you
didn't have a plan A even.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Yeah, no, I didn't really.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I mean when I graduated high school, I was obsessed
with the idea in high school of seeing the world
and traveling. I was always like, I couldn't w to
get out of school so I could go and like
experience the world and experience culture. And I just loved
the idea of doing that. And so the last couple
years of high school I basically just worked a couple
jobs and saved up as much money as possible. And
(15:12):
the second I graduated, I was out, and I like
took off to Europe for a handful of months and
then came back home because I was broke, saved up
more money and we did it again and I just
kind of like, as long as I was traveling and
experiencing the world, my parents didn't give me too much crap.
You know, they didn't like bug me too much about like, hey,
what are you gonna do when you get older, what
are you gonna do?
Speaker 5 (15:31):
You're gonna go to college this.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
And that and yeah, so I kind of did that
for a couple of years, and then Seattle was really
a last ditch effort. I had told them I wanted
to move up there. I'd moved to Oklahoma for a
bit and back then I moved up to Seattle just saying, hey,
this is my last like, I want to give it
a year. I want to rent a piano, I want
to try to meet people. I want to really like
try to do the music thing for a year. If
(15:54):
it doesn't work out, then I'll go come down here
and go to school and figure it out.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
And that was kind of my backup plan.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
But I didn't know idea what that meant really, aside
from going to school and picking a career. And yeah, luckily,
within a week or two of moving to Seattle, I
met John and Josiah and we started started this band.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
But you know, you're such a wallflower.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
So I can't see along the way how you would
have had difficulty making friends, right, I mean, I'm kidding.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
I mean it's funny.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Though I am pretty introverted by nature, I can like
flip the switch and be that person if I need to.
But in school I was I didn't have a ton
of friends. You know, I skateboard and so I had
those guys I hung with, but I wasn't very social.
I didn't do a whole lot of stuff like that.
And that's why I wasn't very open about music. And
I remember Josiah then first night I met him, just
telling me like hey, I told him I don't really sing.
(16:44):
I don't feel comfortable doing that. But I write piano music.
I write music, and I write melodies and I write music.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
I compose music.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And he told me like, why don't you just like
write some stuff and play the piano on stage next
week and do the open mic. And the thought of
even doing that was like set shivers down my spine,
was like what but it felt like that moment, it
felt like the door kind of like I've moved here.
This is what I said I wanted to do, Like
why not try this out. And so that week in
(17:11):
between meeting John and Josiah, or a couple of days
before the first open mic, I went to I just
kind of sat in this my friend's basement that I
was living in at the time, and put together a
bunch of piano music that I had written and just
made like a fifteen minute thing out of it so
I could go up and perform at the open mic
and just do your fifteen minute slot. And so I
went up and did that, and it was my first
(17:33):
time ever playing, and I yeah, and I just remember
Josiah coming.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Up and me and like, I was amazing. It was great.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
And that was kind of the maybe like the audition
in a way, like I kind of did that, and
then it made Josiah at least and and John, I,
I would hope, so comfortable enough being like, all right,
I think he's like good enough to be playing with us,
and we should like explore.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
This a bit, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And there were a lot of others that came in
and out that weren't very serious about it, and eventually
it settled into the sixth of Us.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
And John, did you have a plan A plan B
approach to your career?
Speaker 6 (18:05):
I guess my plan A was like at that point,
I was living in Richmond, Virginia before I moved to Seattle.
I had been in one band before that, and it
sort of fell apart for all the typical like reasons,
and most bands fall apart in your early twenties, and
I was just so frustrated. I was so fed up
with like people who weren't willing to make a true
(18:26):
commitment to some to what to me was so the
only option I guess that I thought of, And yeah,
I just I everyone I knew it was my age
was either in college or thinking about going you know, like,
what are they doing? Nobody was like saying, all my
eggs are in this basket called music, and so I
(18:46):
was just like, well, but what am I doing this town?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Because it's a.
Speaker 6 (18:48):
Waste my time. So I had a friend driving out
to Seattle the only so I just asked her if
I could go with her. Basically, I was just trying
to find a way to get out of Richmond.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
I would have.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
Anywhere, but she was going to Seattle. So I went
to Seattle. So that was my plan. I mean, because
of my current experience with other musicians. My actual plan
was to move to Seattle and find people who would
just be willing to back me up, because I was
just my example of bands was you can't trust anybody.
(19:21):
They're going to bail on you. No one's committed. So
I was actually under the impression that I was like,
you know, and I'm sick of like relying on other
people and was hoping to just go out there. And
obviously Seattle's a music town. I'm sure won't be hard
hard to find people who can be players, who can
just support my music. And it's funnily enough. I mean,
(19:42):
the first person I meet, who ended up being Josiah,
immediately broke that mold. I was just like, woll shit.
I mean, neither one of.
Speaker 7 (19:48):
Us like or like like shredders or players. Weer se
and our gifts, I would say, are more like around
songwriting and singing and harmonizing and just crafting music. And
so I was like, like, well shit, you know, like
I just kind of immediately was like, at least the planet.
(20:09):
I mean, the plan was to go there and focus
on music, but but I did.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
I did, at least for a little while. I think
I had an idea of how to achieve it, and
that was just for me to do my thing and
to pay people to play music. And so I think,
like Kenny, when when you came along too, it was
just like I still just really met just Hiah. And
you know, I think at this point the world's kind
of gotten known Jasiah enough to like he's a pretty
like he's a character. He's he's a I love him,
(20:33):
he's my brother, but you know, I was just kind
of like, I don't know he like he he possessed,
He possesses gifts that I don't have. You know, he's
much more welcoming, he's more supportive. I think I was
like so in my like like blinders up, like I
was just so sick of things not working that I
wasn't I wasn't seeing I wasn't really available to see
(20:57):
like a bigger picture. So fortunately for him being a
part of a said that time, I mean he was
like he did see you, he heard you, and was supportive,
and you know, I think I was just kind of like,
I don't know if this fits into my plan. You know,
like thank God wasn't me up to those decisions at
that point, because I think I was just afraid of
trusting people again. Unfortunately, Jasiah was one of the most
(21:20):
trusting human beings on the planet, so he kind of
blew up my plan A, and you know, we all
kind of developed our own plan and I'm very grateful
for that.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
Yeah, I think too.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Like I mean, Josiah, like you said, is such a character,
and he's very positive, very warm, like welcoming, welcoming, welcoming.
And a funny example that I always give because like
John and Josiah ended up being such a great duo
and such a great team as friends and as songwriters.
But meeting them the first night, it was so funny
(21:53):
because Josiah. I went up to Josiah and he immediately
was asking me questions and then within a minute was
in to music Monday's at his house. You know, He's like,
John's coming over, we have music Mondays come over. We're
gonna play together, and we're going to do this and that.
And I was like, wow, this is great. This guy's
like inviting me to parties already. I just met the guy.
And then I go up and talk to John and
he kind of looked at me like why the hell
(22:14):
are you talking to me? Like I don't know who
you are, And I just remember the difference that like
black and white, and being like a little intimidated by John,
but also like I don't know who he is, nobody
sounds good, so I want to try to get another guy.
And then like Josiah was like not no intimidation whatsoever.
And of course over time you get to know. Just
that's how people click and work, you know, And I
(22:34):
consider both of them like my brothers in a way,
you know. But yeah, very funny introduction. And I think
without Josiah we probably never would have. I don't think
John and I would have started playing music together. I
think Josiah was the glue in a lot of ways
that like got this band off its feet.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
I think I probably would have gotten to know John.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
And like liked his music, and maybe we tried would
have tried to mess around. But the first time John
and I tried hanging out one on one without Josiah,
we sat there at a restaurant and just realized that
we didn't know how to talk to each other really,
and we like sat there.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Awkwardly for ten or fifteen minutes.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
You know, we're just like, I mean, we work really
well together, but our brains worked differently, and Josiah was
one hundred percent the glue that like kept the three
of us, Like this can work if it's the three
of us, and then eventually it turned into six, you know.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
But yeah, without Josiah, I don't think.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I think we just would have known each other, but
we wouldn't have started playing together.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
I don't think.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yeah, we'll be right back with more of the Taken
a Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
You know, thinking away the way you guys are talking
about Josiah, I came up with like a term I
don't think i've heard used. It sounds like it applies
to him. Sounds like he has mastered the art of
creative leadership.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Is that fair?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Maybe it's really hard to explain Josiah. He's such a
interesting guy, all right, maybe it's not fair.
Speaker 6 (24:00):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I don't know. I mean,
because you know, the other side of there's a larger
side of this band's history, Like at this point, we've
been been longer without Josiah, and so like, I think,
I think the things that came natural to him also
ended up ended up almost like getting abused unfortunately, like
(24:21):
we you know, it's not like we had like delegated
roles to one another, and like he was this like
creative mastermind that we followed leads. It was like there
were certain things where he would just like say yes more,
you know, and me being in the state of mind
I was just very East Coast, very jaded, very mistrustful,
and so he kind of was the like go between
(24:43):
for every single person all of the time. And I
think it became exhausting. So I don't I wouldn't say
he mastered it. If he was here, I said the
same thing I think of anything like he's learned boundaries
which allow you to become a lot more masterful. But
for a while, I think it actually ate him alive,
because I don't know that any of I can speak
for myself at least, you know, I wasn't aware of
just how I was contributing to like abusing his superpower
(25:07):
or his his his willingness and his like just openness,
and there would just be things that I didn't want
to do, Like I wouldn't want to I would be
on tour and we'd be getting asked to do these
interviews and I would be stressed out, under slept, probably hungover,
just not a very good person in those days, and
I would just be like, I'm not doing it and
(25:27):
thinking that then everybody else would be like, ooh, I
guess we're not doing it, and he would just be like, Okay,
well I'll do it. I'm like, I really thought about
how that would add up. You know, he just kind
of took He took a lot of things on. He's
just a nicer person, or at least, you know, back
then I wasn't very kind unfortunately, But so I don't know,
I mean, he's yeah, it's we were so young, and
(25:48):
things that became natural to him. I think had he
kept touring with us and kept figuring all of that out,
I would say he definitely has that potential. But I
don't think any of us really knew how to do what.
We were just sort of doing it, you.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
I feel like now Kenny and I and the rest
of us are fortunate enough to have been around long
enough to like actually take stock of like like how
things happen, how they work, how to get better at them,
how to like be proactive, learn to communicate, Like what
are boundaries? You know, Like how did I do that?
Why did it work? You know versus just a lot
of accidents kind of happening. Yeah, sorry, I took your
(26:24):
question and kind of steered it in a different direction, But.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
No, you didn't.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
And the word I wouldn't use again would be mastering,
because no one really has mastered anything really, We're all
always trying to be better at something, to be better
at ourselves, to be.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Better in relationships.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
So I think master is probably where I took it
off course, But thank you for taking me inside, deep
into the complexities of the head and the heart in
a good way.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I think that's a great word, too, complexity. I think,
like Josiah is just, at the end of the day,
a very complex person in a lot of ways, and
I think early on he contributed to a lot of
why we got started. But like John said, it's like
we've now had Maddie in this band longer than Justsia
was ever a part of the band. So it's been
so long now since those years. But of course when
you're talking about the foundation of the band and where
(27:15):
we came from, then he's a big part of that,
you know, so you have to include in that story.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
So before we talk of the new album and the process,
can you guys, give me a little glimpse personally into
your you know what's on your Spotify playlist, so I
can kind of get a sense of the many different
influences I think exist for both of you.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
I can go requids. Mine will be pretty pretty short.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I am admittedly not the best at researching and discovering
new music, or at least I've noticed since this band
has become a full time thing. But I was in
high school growing up, I was obsessed with finding, you know,
the newest bands that I loved, and was super influen,
inspy all of that. But I also grew up, you know,
(28:02):
with a family and a household that just played you know,
a lot of Beatles and a lot of Semoni Garfunkle
and a lot of CSN and you know Dylan. And
I've always loved that era and that like time in
music more than anything, And I still find myself just
falling back on that most of the time. You know,
if I do listen to music, which I really don't
(28:23):
even listen to music a ton. I listen to a
lot of audio books and podcasts, but I feel like
my years almost need like when I when I listen
to music now it brings me right into creative or
work mode, and so it can be a little exhausting.
But yeah, I tend to listen just to a lot
of the stuff I grew up with, which is the
old classics, and every once in a while I stumble
upon something that I really love and hits me right away.
(28:43):
But yeah, I am admittedly not the best of that
and want to make an effort to listen to more
new music for sure.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
Yeah, it's funny. I think listening to always I was
always really envious of people who had good, like there
was good taste of music in their upbringing, like from
their parents. No offense. I'm sure my mom was probably
listen to this. I mean, it's not that their taste
was bad, but I think when we were being when
we were coming up as kids, there was sort of
the shift of like like, oh, we're parents now, and
(29:13):
like we go to church now, So like, I feel
like a lot of this stuff my mom grew up
with she sort of put aside for a while, so
I didn't even necessarily have access to even what she
was listening to for a while. So for me, it
was like Christian music and like nineties country which I
do love nineties country, but for me it was so
and and I guess in the inverse of that, it
like it left me really hungry for searching for everything
(29:35):
because I had no I had no there was nothing
to be sentimental about music wise. I just had this
like voracious appetite, I guess for everything. So and I
think becoming a songwriter, like you just keep wanting to
you know, it's like, I don't know, you want to
consume everything maybe, but I was sorry. Anyways, my list
(29:57):
is I've got sort of which is my favorite bomber
on the records like nineteen eighty or nineteen eighty one
Cigareros record, it's I Can Never Enya, Love Enya, mob Deep, Nirvana,
the Incesta Side record, which is like a pretty strange album,
(30:19):
and then like like a junk Hole Trane compilation record
from fifty eight. But for me, like whenever i'm making
an album, like I typically need something that's like polar
opposite of what we're working on. Otherwise I'll start comparing
before a song he's even finished, and then I'll be like, oh,
so obvious, you just like went to the chorus again,
John or whatever, or like why why isn't there a chorus?
Speaker 5 (30:40):
John? You know?
Speaker 6 (30:41):
So, so I usually find myself listening to things that can't,
you know, weigh me down in my own creative endeavors
or whatever.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
So yeah, to take you away from that present moment,
so you could focus on that present moment, right, and
not be you know, diverted too far into your influences, right.
Speaker 5 (31:03):
I think it's so interesting too.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I mean just just you know, what people are raised
with based on where they're from in the country. It's like,
you know, you were born in you know, Florida, then
grew up in Virginia. It's like, no wonder, you grew
up listening to tim A. Graw and like and this stuff.
And it's like, I think that's cool that that people
in different areas and upbringings, you know, grew up with
different stuff. I also had like the benefit of having
(31:25):
a sister that is five years older than me, who
was very in tune at a young age to like what.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
She thought was cool.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
She was in a ska band when she was like fourteen,
and then it was just really into like what I
considered cool music early on. So I was lucky in
that way. I was like the kid who was a
freshman at high school with like a wheelco tea shirt
and like listening to radio, had a ton and like
none of my friends like knew all these bands. But
I had the upper hand of having this older sister
(31:52):
who I was really close with, who was just constantly
sharing me or sharing with me new music she was
coming across that I would also loved you, So I
think without her that would have been very obviously the
stuff you grow up with your parents listening. But I
would have been pretty basic, just listening to like alternative
rock radio, you know.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
So tell everybody what they can look forward to with
the new music from the Head and the Heart, the
anxiously awaited new music. Of course, Arrow is out at
this point, which is great congratulations, But can you take
us inside a little bit to what people can expect
from the band.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
I try really hard not to sound too repetitive, because
we obviously get asked this question frequently enough and it
starts to become like a scripted thing in your mind,
which I would like to avoid.
Speaker 5 (32:41):
But I do think this album will cater very heavily
to our earlier fans.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
I think it's the first record, it's our sixth LP
it's our first album since our second that we self produce.
We self produced our first two, so it's the first one.
We did three records on a major label and between
and we definitely like tried all the production stuff and
maybe a little overproduced sometimes and really tried to like
have some radio hits here and there. And this does
(33:11):
feel like we've kind of gone back to, like, how
did we make music when we started, and that was
trusting our gut, trusting each other in the band, not
worrying about any outside sources, you know, and just doing
it and putting out what we like and what's feeling
right to us. And this whole process felt felt like
(33:33):
we kind of had just decided to go back to that.
We did a bunch of trips to Richmond, Virginia and
Seattle to do writing, and the writing kind of turned
it into recording in real time because we were just
getting takes that we really liked, and so a lot
of the songs on the record you're hearing live takes
for the most part, that were maybe even recorded the
(33:54):
day we wrote the song or the day after we
kind of like finished composing or finishing. I didn't finish
touches to a song, So it's very raw in that sense.
There's not a ton of production tricks or stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
You know.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
I think I think it's gonna Like I said, I think.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Our early fans are going to be really happy with
it and really excited. It's maybe gonna feel in a
way like they kind of got their banded back a
little bit, you know that they maybe loved early on
but haven't loved as much like as we try to
do more produce sounding music.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
But yeah, it's just quality. I think it just sounds
and feels good and happy. Like there's a positivity to it.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Like not all the lyrics in the songs they're all
hunky Dorian positive.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
But it makes me feel good.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
There's a lot of really good driving songs, like road
trip songs.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
Yeah, it's just been a really great experience.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
And we kind of were talking about this a couple
of weeks ago, and it's wild that it dawned on us,
but this is we realized that maybe the first record
that all six of us as the group right now
have ever made together with all of us, like every
single record either was before the Justia and mattew switch
happened or was during a period where somebody in the
(35:06):
band was not a part of it, you know, like
either I was not a part of a recording process
or writing process, or somebody else said take a time off.
And so this is the first time that the six
of us all were you know, in it from the
very beginning, and you know, have our signatures all over it,
and it just feels the most like us than maybe
I've ever heard.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
And it's a fair to say, even though it goes
down some paths that certainly are through you know, elements
of darkness, that it comes out in the sense, you know,
with optimism and brightness, you know, ultimately is that a
fair assessment totally?
Speaker 2 (35:46):
And that's kind of been one of the you know,
even getting into the album campaign and artwork and what
we want it to look like physically and visually, that's
been an ongoing It's just like the light opening the
or it's letting the light in. That's like a theme
that we pretty much has pretty much been spearheading this process.
I'd say, it's really like getting through dark times, and
(36:10):
and there's songwriting that's about those dark times and about rough,
you know, hard things. But it really does feel like
it's like we got through that and this is almost
the almost the closure in a lot of ways on
some of those things, and moving forward into like a
lighter time in our lives and a lighter time in
this band's history.
Speaker 6 (36:30):
John, Yeah, I mean that was such an excellent description,
don't I don't. I don't want to steer it away
from any of that. I love that you said it's
like we got it like that you were saying some
of those early fans might sound like they got their
band back. I feel like we got our band back too.
Like we're all like we were intentional and united before
(36:50):
we started writing, which is just you know, when you
all live together in the same town and like you
don't have a whole lot of complications in your life,
like that just kind of map really falls into place.
But when you when you're living in different cities, life
starts happening, families are getting started, you know, like, and
it's time to make a record. Not everyone is in sync,
not everyone's feeling creative, Not everyone's in a good place.
(37:14):
And I guess, you know, I don't even know that
I was necessarily in a good place when we started
writing this, but but we at least artistically speaking, we
had pretty like specific intentions and a huge part of
that was working without a producer again and just letting
our own writing have its voice again and really let
a lot of things remain. So yeah, I feel like
(37:36):
we got our band back too. Like I love this record,
Like yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
When we get.
Speaker 6 (37:42):
Further and further from like people thinking of artists putting
out albums, it's a little bit of a bummer for
me because I personally still listen to albums, even if
it's in a digital format. I just hope people do
that because this is an album.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
I think they will for sure.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
I want to close with something that I think is
so cool about this band, uh and you guys, And
it's this this sort of hidden gem factor where there
are these songs that are hidden gems that sort of
pop out, not that you know they're they're buried or whatever,
but they're just there're these these gems that are found.
(38:21):
And the one that that I think of is is
Winter Song. What is the mystery of this band and
the hidden gem factor? Can you explain this? I think
it's fascinating.
Speaker 6 (38:31):
I think we just don't give up on a song,
like every song means something to us. So even if
it isn't like even even even if it isn't like,
if it's not raising its hand for like a single
like we didn't, we didn't put songs on the record
that till us didn't mean something. That's my only guy,
I'm guessing in real time, Kenny, I would love to
hear No.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
Yeah, I think that's totally true.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
I think that are like one thing I'm most proud
of as far as being in this band is are
just the depth of the catalog. I think that anybody
who you know likes this type of music or in general,
would maybe like a band like ours. I think if
they really took a deep dive. I don't think our
albums have too many weak points, you know. I think
there are tracks that are kind of deeper that aren't
(39:15):
singles and they're not on the radio, that are my
favorite songs, And the real fans that you know have
been to a bunch of shows and have listened to
the album's front to back are always requesting those songs.
It's not the single that everybody knows. I think there's
a lot there that people haven't heard, and I would
suggest or like really try to push anybody who is
interested in our band to really give the whole albums
(39:38):
like a chance, you know, don't just listen to the singles.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
I think you'll find songs that.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Are deeper in there that you might like as much
or more than what you're hearing on the radio.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
You know, there's a good variety, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
And I think also one thing is that just a
band of six people that all writes, you know, it's
not like there's of course they're singers, and there's people
that are songs that are writing lyrics, and there's a
difference there. But it's not like it's one person's project
and there's five people backing it. We're all invested in
a way to where there's writing happening all the time individually.
(40:09):
And so I think you're getting colors, you know, the
palette is just very colorful, and you're getting sounds that
maybe only Charity could think of, and melodies that only
she could think of, and you're getting stuff that only
I would be able to think of. You know, Winter
Song as as an example, that was like a guitar
song that I came up with in high school that
I just really liked fingerpicking and thought it was pretty.
And when we first met, I had just showed just
(40:31):
I and John that and it was like, that's nice.
Let's like add lyrics and melody over that, and there's
that song.
Speaker 5 (40:36):
You know.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
It's like there's a million different ways that we can
come at making a song. And I think because of that,
you you just get a really beautiful variety, you know.
I think you get a lot of like I said,
a lot of color, and it doesn't get old, you know,
It's not just the same thing.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
Drilled India over and over and over again, I think.
And that's something I love about this band.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Well, I could have talked to you guys forever. It's
really been a joy to connect with you.
Speaker 4 (41:02):
And I got to say, you know, for a band
like The Head and the Heart, this is certainly why
I got into the business that I got into being
in and around, you know, music and radio and the
creation of things. It's so beautiful to hear it from
your perspective, and I have to thank you so much
(41:24):
for continuing to give us this amazing music. Congrats on
the new music, and thanks for sharing all of the
inside backstory of everything.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
It really was wonderful.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
Of course, thanks so much. That was a really, really
fun time.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It was just this really exciting thing to witness and
then to introduce myself and be a part of it.
And as we got to know each other and started
playing there more often, it was, Yeah, this really kind
of addictive feeling in the room. Everybody was shown up
every week and then I don't know, it's really hard
to explain, but I've never experienced anything like that.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Welcome to another edition of the Taking a Walk podcast,
where Buzz Night digs deep into the stories of musicians,
their influences, and their creative process that connects with their community.
If you like this podcast, check out our companion podcast
hosted by Lynn Hoffman.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Called Music Save Me.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Today, Buzz is joined by two members of the indie
folk rock band The Head and the Heart. Kenny Hensley
and Jonathan Russell, will dive into their musical journey and
get the stories behind their music. Next on Taking a Walk.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Well, Kenny and John thanks for being on Taking a Walk.
And since this show is called Taking a Walk, I
have to ask you, guys, if you were to take
a walk with someone living or dead, and it could
be musical, but it doesn't have to be, who would
that individual be and where would you be taking a
(01:17):
walk with them?
Speaker 5 (01:19):
You think, Johnny want to take this first?
Speaker 6 (01:22):
Sure, I feel like I've got a few, and then
I keep every time I think about, oh, this one
for sure, I'm like, don't meet your idols. You know,
I'm gonna go with Chris Martin. I met Chris Martin
obviously cold Play. I met him at a house show
party that we actually played acoustically years ago, and he
(01:43):
was super nice. I was so nervous, and I think
he knew it, but he was really gracious and took
a took a very amount of time to speak with me.
I was really blown away by how kind he was.
And I would love to spend more time with Chris Martin.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
You've already had a talk with Chris Martin, but you'd
like a one.
Speaker 6 (02:00):
I'd like it.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
I'd like some time you have like one.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Of those things where you had a conversation with somebody
and then a couple days later you were like kicking
yourself for not saying certain things and wish you could go,
oh my god, redo it or.
Speaker 6 (02:12):
Or yeah, like you mentioned, you know, like this is
why you play music.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
It's because of you.
Speaker 6 (02:17):
Like wish I could take that back.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
And where would you go Joe.
Speaker 6 (02:23):
You know, I think I think he lives near the
beach at least in terms of la so I probably suggest,
you know, some long walk along the beach, you know,
maybe sunset, maybe find sunrise with coffee actually probably be
even better for me. Yeah, perfect, Yeah, maybe all right, Kenny,
you're up.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, you know, I was thinking about this. We were
told that this might be a question to you know,
put a little thought into it. Over the weekend. I
you know, a lot of musicians and influences crossed my mind,
and you know, of course there are many people that
I would enjoy the privilege of doing something.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Like that with.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
But the more I thought about it, I started to
kind of getting weird with it, where I started thinking,
you know, if I could go on a walk with
myself when I was younger, that would be like my
ideal situation to like talk to like going on a
nice to walk with myself when I was eighteen and
like just I don't know, maybe like gain some excitement
or like wide eyed exuberance from like that eighteen year
(03:18):
old who hadn't experienced too much in the world yet,
you know, and try to, you know, find what inspired
me back then and get some of that again.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
But I was thinking about it more and then I
kind of settled on.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
A relative, not a famous person or a musician, But
I think if I could take a walk with anybody,
it would be my mom's dad, my grandpa, who I
never met. He passed away when my mom was sixteen,
and he I've just heard stories my whole life about
this guy. He was a World War Two vet and
was shot down over Germany, survived the plane crash, ended
(03:54):
up meeting my grandma who's German, during the war, and
they ran away to Hollywood together and like lived in
Rocco at one point. Just really epic, Like you know,
has a purple heart and amazing stories, and my mom
just always has the best things to say about him.
And I know that she, you know, thinks every day
about the fact that he, you know, we never got
(04:15):
a chance to see us or have grandkids and whatnot.
And so I think I would love to go on
a long walk with him. And I think I would
do that here in Los Angeles, where I'm from and
where he was born and raised. Also, he's you know,
I'm like fourth generation Angelino, which is pretty rare and
I think it'd be fun to walk around like old
classic la with my grandpa I never got to meet.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Thanks for sharing that. Yeah, that's that's special.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
So bands are pretty fragile things, fragile entities. So what
makes the head and the heart tick is a band?
In your guys opinion.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's tough, and I mean a lot of therapy. I
guess that's not what makes us tick, but what keeps
us together. You know, we've been I've been in now
about fifteen years, and we've been through a whole lot,
you know. We Yeah, a lot of ups and downs,
a lot of a lot of moments and situations. I
think a lot of bands wouldn't have made it through.
(05:13):
But I think, like anything, you know, like getting through
the hard times and building these layers, layers and layers
of like armor, I feel like we have at this
point we can kind of get through anything. And Yeah,
we started doing therapy as a band years ago, group
therapy that's.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Kind of you know, off and on. We still do it.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
And I think having those resets as a group with
a moderator, a mediator of some sort, has been really
helpful and has really kept us going. I think it
kind of got us over the hump. I feel like
we went through periods that looking back, I think we
kind of like we made it. We got through that,
and I don't think we'll ever have to do with
that again, hopefully, you know. So yeah, I don't know
if that answers your question, but that's what comes to mind.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, Kenny, but sorry John, before I gets you. I mean,
that's so amazing that you guys have embarked on that
part of your journey. It came up in the Music
Saved Me addition of The Head and the Heart, which
I encourage folks to check out as.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well with Maddie and Charity.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So I think it's so admirable that you put in
the foreground the need for you know, just transparency on
how we're feeling and how you're feeling as a band.
So kudos to the Head and the Heart for having
that bravery.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I think, you know, not saying that we're any different
than most bands or any band, but there's you know,
six very very different personalities in this band. You know,
we somehow work well together musically and it comes together
and we love each other.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
It's like a brother sister type deal. But but you
almost couldn't.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Put together a group of more like different, you know,
neurotic or perfectionistic type people. And because of that, it's
come with a lot of struggles over the years. But
I think it also is kind of the magic that
that binds us and that separates us from from other groups.
Speaker 6 (07:07):
Yeah, and really just to add to that, because I
agree with everything Kenny has said, and maybe something that's
very obvious, but I think I've overlooked it from time
for sure, is really the thing that drew us together
in the first place, and that I think has kept
us choosing to remain even when things are very challenging.
(07:29):
Is the music chemistry. Like you know, when we were
all meeting one another in Seattle, Washington and over the years,
I guess it was like what two thousand and nine,
when we're kind of majority of us were all meeting,
Like yeah, it's not like we necessarily had something in
mind of like looking for a sound. You know, we
had all kinds of variations of players and instrumentation and
(07:51):
styles and personalities. And then for whatever reason, like when
when when these six people started playing together in our
you know, our grindy little rehearsal spot. We just it
just clicked. It was just like kind of smiling, and
everyone was just like instantly willing to want to put
in like as many hours as we could, many days
(08:12):
a week to rehearse because it just, I don't know,
it was for me at least, it was like something
I'd never experienced, you know, like true musical chemistry. And
of course, and of course there are you know, there
are hard conversations and sometimes you know it's not all
honky dory, but like in general, like it was just
the type of musical chemistry that I think that remains
(08:36):
compelling enough to put up with what is a very
challenging artistic endeavor. You know, there's a lot of compromises,
and there's a lot of personalities to deal with, and
at the end of the day, I think there were numerous,
you know, occasions to want to to just walk away
because it was just it could have been too much.
But I think the music chemistry keeps bringing us back,
(08:58):
and that's in the studio as well as on stage.
I mean, we've got to we're sitting on a new
record right now, and you know, somehow I'm yet again
like just giddy like a little child I can't wait
to get it back on stage and start playing these
new songs. And you know, we've been doing it for
a long time. You would think that that would wear off,
and it just it blows my mind how excited I
(09:20):
am to just get back on stage with these other
five people.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
So we'll talk about the new music and sort of
the creation of it. But you refer to this, but
I want you to maybe take us back a little
bit more, particularly to those you know, those those open
mic nights there at the burn Pub. When at that
pub did you first realize there was some chemistry with
(09:46):
this group of people.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
I mean, the entire the entire like experience of that
was really intoxicating. I mean even even when we weren't
necessarily there exact because the kind of burned open mind
that you were speaking of was sort of like a
revolving door.
Speaker 7 (10:05):
You know.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
It's like it's where we kind of got to try
out our different identities. You know, like one night we
would have three girls singing with us and one of
them plays flute, one of them plays glockage.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Feel like.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
A little superfluous maybe, but like let's try it out.
Because we had a buddy who had a buddy and
and it was just I don't know. It was just
like there was such a fertile music ground happening in Seattle.
And maybe it's still listed this day. I hope it's
still listed to day. But for us I can only
speak of then. I don't know. It just it just
(10:37):
felt like I don't know, Kenny, I feel like.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, I mean I can add on like yeah, I
mean for me, at least my experience, it was very
like it felt like for me, John said this, But
for me, it felt like the first time I felt
something different, Like there was this connection that I had
never experienced before. There was a feeling in rooms there,
(11:02):
like the community that was happening. And and for me
at least, I was twenty one, I you know, was
just old enough to start going to bars. I moved
up from LA by myself, didn't know anybody, so it
was really just like avoiding college, not wanting to do music,
but like just trying to like make a change, just
like hoping I'll meet somebody eventually or something or something
(11:22):
will happen, not knowing at all. And I went to Connorburn,
who was the pub we all met at. I went
down just at as a recommendation from her friend to
watch a basketball game. It was like a Laker Finals game.
And I've grown up here in LA I'm a like
lifelong Lakers fan, and so I went down to watch
this game. And it happened to be the night that
they won the NBA Championship in O nine, So they
(11:44):
beat the Orlando Magic, and I just was at this
Irish pub and it's funny to Chris, our bass player,
was bartending me that night.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
He worked there, and so I met.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I met this guy Chris, and was talking to him,
explaining him that I was new to town and I
didn't really know anybody, and because they won the game,
I kind of was like, well, I'm celebrating. I'm gonna
stay out and have more drinks and you know, enjoy
it and try to meet some people. I didn't have
any friends, and there happened to be a little show
happening that night, and John and Josiah, who had just
(12:13):
met like maybe a month or two before, were part
of that, this kind of collective playing and I just
remember sitting and watching with the idea that I just
moved to the city with the goal of pursuing music,
but literally having no plan whatsoever, thinking I might move
up to Seattle and spend three months there and move
right back to LA because I didn't meet anybody or
nothing happened. And it's like a week after I moved there,
(12:34):
and I'm sitting in this place watching John play songs
by himself, like a singer songwriter, and just being so impressed,
like like whoa, Like here's a guy who sounds really
good and like he's playing original music, Like that's amazing.
And then ten minutes later, Josiah goes up and it's
another guy and I'm like, wow, this guy's good too,
like and they're hanging out, they're friends, Like I need
(12:54):
to meet those guys. And there are other people that
would go up. You know, there was like it was
an open mic night, so there was there were some groups.
There was like a group called the beat Funkles that
only play Beatles and Simon Garfunckle covers and they were
like more silly and you know, it was stuff like that,
of course, but there were also people that took it
very seriously and we're really testing out like new original material.
And so I met John and Josaia and it was
(13:15):
just really exciting to see this thing happening. And I
had never in my life performed in front of anybody.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
I had never been in a band.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
It was kind of my secret thing that I like,
my greatest love, but I was too scared or embarrassed
or much of a perfectionist to like be out in
the world about it. Like I'd never performed and never
even told my friends I played music. It was kind
of my thing I did at home. But the hope
was when I moved to Seattle. All my friends were like,
why are you moving there. I'm like, oh, I'm gonna
be a musician, and they were like, what, Like, you
(13:42):
don't play music? But yeah, it was just this really
exciting thing to witness and then to introduce myself and
be a part of it. And as we got to
know each other and started playing there more often, it was, yeah,
this really kind of addictive feeling in the room.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
Everybody was shown up every week.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
And then I don't know, it's really hard to explain,
but I've never experienced anything like that in my life
like that, So that first six months when everything just
started to be clicking and there was something really special
there and I almost can't put words to it, but yeah,
an amazing time.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
It's a moment of Sarah Deputy, I would say, with
the Laker win and the fact that you were, you know,
surfing from couch to couch pretty much right at that.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Point in your life.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
And it's so funny talking to a lot of musicians
asking many of them, well did you have a plan
B along the way, and most of them.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Did not have a plan B.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
But it sounds like, at least with you, Kenny, you
didn't have a plan A even.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Yeah, no, I didn't really.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I mean when I graduated high school, I was obsessed
with the idea in high school of seeing the world
and traveling. I was always like, I couldn't w to
get out of school so I could go and like
experience the world and experience culture. And I just loved
the idea of doing that. And so the last couple
years of high school I basically just worked a couple
jobs and saved up as much money as possible. And
(15:12):
the second I graduated, I was out, and I like
took off to Europe for a handful of months and
then came back home because I was broke, saved up
more money and we did it again and I just
kind of like, as long as I was traveling and
experiencing the world, my parents didn't give me too much crap.
You know, they didn't like bug me too much about like, hey,
what are you gonna do when you get older, what
are you gonna do?
Speaker 5 (15:31):
You're gonna go to college this.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
And that and yeah, so I kind of did that
for a couple of years, and then Seattle was really
a last ditch effort. I had told them I wanted
to move up there. I'd moved to Oklahoma for a
bit and back then I moved up to Seattle just saying, hey,
this is my last like, I want to give it
a year. I want to rent a piano, I want
to try to meet people. I want to really like
try to do the music thing for a year. If
(15:54):
it doesn't work out, then I'll go come down here
and go to school and figure it out.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
And that was kind of my backup plan.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
But I didn't know idea what that meant really, aside
from going to school and picking a career. And yeah, luckily,
within a week or two of moving to Seattle, I
met John and Josiah and we started started this band.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
But you know, you're such a wallflower.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
So I can't see along the way how you would
have had difficulty making friends, right, I mean, I'm kidding.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
I mean it's funny.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Though I am pretty introverted by nature, I can like
flip the switch and be that person if I need to.
But in school I was I didn't have a ton
of friends. You know, I skateboard and so I had
those guys I hung with, but I wasn't very social.
I didn't do a whole lot of stuff like that.
And that's why I wasn't very open about music. And
I remember Josiah then first night I met him, just
telling me like hey, I told him I don't really sing.
(16:44):
I don't feel comfortable doing that. But I write piano music.
I write music, and I write melodies and I write music.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
I compose music.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And he told me like, why don't you just like
write some stuff and play the piano on stage next
week and do the open mic. And the thought of
even doing that was like set shivers down my spine,
was like what but it felt like that moment, it
felt like the door kind of like I've moved here.
This is what I said I wanted to do, Like
why not try this out. And so that week in
(17:11):
between meeting John and Josiah, or a couple of days
before the first open mic, I went to I just
kind of sat in this my friend's basement that I
was living in at the time, and put together a
bunch of piano music that I had written and just
made like a fifteen minute thing out of it so
I could go up and perform at the open mic
and just do your fifteen minute slot. And so I
went up and did that, and it was my first
(17:33):
time ever playing, and I yeah, and I just remember
Josiah coming.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Up and me and like, I was amazing. It was great.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
And that was kind of the maybe like the audition
in a way, like I kind of did that, and
then it made Josiah at least and and John, I,
I would hope, so comfortable enough being like, all right,
I think he's like good enough to be playing with us,
and we should like explore.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
This a bit, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And there were a lot of others that came in
and out that weren't very serious about it, and eventually
it settled into the sixth of Us.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
And John, did you have a plan A plan B
approach to your career?
Speaker 6 (18:05):
I guess my plan A was like at that point,
I was living in Richmond, Virginia before I moved to Seattle.
I had been in one band before that, and it
sort of fell apart for all the typical like reasons,
and most bands fall apart in your early twenties, and
I was just so frustrated. I was so fed up
with like people who weren't willing to make a true
(18:26):
commitment to some to what to me was so the
only option I guess that I thought of, And yeah,
I just I everyone I knew it was my age
was either in college or thinking about going you know, like,
what are they doing? Nobody was like saying, all my
eggs are in this basket called music, and so I
(18:46):
was just like, well, but what am I doing this town?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Because it's a.
Speaker 6 (18:48):
Waste my time. So I had a friend driving out
to Seattle the only so I just asked her if
I could go with her. Basically, I was just trying
to find a way to get out of Richmond.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
I would have.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
Anywhere, but she was going to Seattle. So I went
to Seattle. So that was my plan. I mean, because
of my current experience with other musicians. My actual plan
was to move to Seattle and find people who would
just be willing to back me up, because I was
just my example of bands was you can't trust anybody.
(19:21):
They're going to bail on you. No one's committed. So
I was actually under the impression that I was like,
you know, and I'm sick of like relying on other
people and was hoping to just go out there. And
obviously Seattle's a music town. I'm sure won't be hard
hard to find people who can be players, who can
just support my music. And it's funnily enough. I mean,
(19:42):
the first person I meet, who ended up being Josiah,
immediately broke that mold. I was just like, woll shit.
I mean, neither one of.
Speaker 7 (19:48):
Us like or like like shredders or players. Weer se
and our gifts, I would say, are more like around
songwriting and singing and harmonizing and just crafting music. And
so I was like, like, well shit, you know, like
I just kind of immediately was like, at least the planet.
(20:09):
I mean, the plan was to go there and focus
on music, but but I did.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
I did, at least for a little while. I think
I had an idea of how to achieve it, and
that was just for me to do my thing and
to pay people to play music. And so I think,
like Kenny, when when you came along too, it was
just like I still just really met just Hiah. And
you know, I think at this point the world's kind
of gotten known Jasiah enough to like he's a pretty
like he's a character. He's he's a I love him,
(20:33):
he's my brother, but you know, I was just kind
of like, I don't know he like he he possessed,
He possesses gifts that I don't have. You know, he's
much more welcoming, he's more supportive. I think I was
like so in my like like blinders up, like I
was just so sick of things not working that I
wasn't I wasn't seeing I wasn't really available to see
(20:57):
like a bigger picture. So fortunately for him being a
part of a said that time, I mean he was
like he did see you, he heard you, and was supportive,
and you know, I think I was just kind of like,
I don't know if this fits into my plan. You know,
like thank God wasn't me up to those decisions at
that point, because I think I was just afraid of
trusting people again. Unfortunately, Jasiah was one of the most
(21:20):
trusting human beings on the planet, so he kind of
blew up my plan A, and you know, we all
kind of developed our own plan and I'm very grateful
for that.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
Yeah, I think too.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Like I mean, Josiah, like you said, is such a character,
and he's very positive, very warm, like welcoming, welcoming, welcoming.
And a funny example that I always give because like
John and Josiah ended up being such a great duo
and such a great team as friends and as songwriters.
But meeting them the first night, it was so funny
(21:53):
because Josiah. I went up to Josiah and he immediately
was asking me questions and then within a minute was
in to music Monday's at his house. You know, He's like,
John's coming over, we have music Mondays come over. We're
gonna play together, and we're going to do this and that.
And I was like, wow, this is great. This guy's
like inviting me to parties already. I just met the guy.
And then I go up and talk to John and
he kind of looked at me like why the hell
(22:14):
are you talking to me? Like I don't know who
you are, And I just remember the difference that like
black and white, and being like a little intimidated by John,
but also like I don't know who he is, nobody
sounds good, so I want to try to get another guy.
And then like Josiah was like not no intimidation whatsoever.
And of course over time you get to know. Just
that's how people click and work, you know, And I
(22:34):
consider both of them like my brothers in a way,
you know. But yeah, very funny introduction. And I think
without Josiah we probably never would have. I don't think
John and I would have started playing music together. I
think Josiah was the glue in a lot of ways
that like got this band off its feet.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
I think I probably would have gotten to know John.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
And like liked his music, and maybe we tried would
have tried to mess around. But the first time John
and I tried hanging out one on one without Josiah,
we sat there at a restaurant and just realized that
we didn't know how to talk to each other really,
and we like sat there.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Awkwardly for ten or fifteen minutes.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
You know, we're just like, I mean, we work really
well together, but our brains worked differently, and Josiah was
one hundred percent the glue that like kept the three
of us, Like this can work if it's the three
of us, and then eventually it turned into six, you know.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
But yeah, without Josiah, I don't think.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I think we just would have known each other, but
we wouldn't have started playing together.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
I don't think.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yeah, we'll be right back with more of the Taken
a Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
You know, thinking away the way you guys are talking
about Josiah, I came up with like a term I
don't think i've heard used. It sounds like it applies
to him. Sounds like he has mastered the art of
creative leadership.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Is that fair?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Maybe it's really hard to explain Josiah. He's such a
interesting guy, all right, maybe it's not fair.
Speaker 6 (24:00):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I don't know. I mean,
because you know, the other side of there's a larger
side of this band's history, Like at this point, we've
been been longer without Josiah, and so like, I think,
I think the things that came natural to him also
ended up ended up almost like getting abused unfortunately, like
(24:21):
we you know, it's not like we had like delegated
roles to one another, and like he was this like
creative mastermind that we followed leads. It was like there
were certain things where he would just like say yes more,
you know, and me being in the state of mind
I was just very East Coast, very jaded, very mistrustful,
and so he kind of was the like go between
(24:43):
for every single person all of the time. And I
think it became exhausting. So I don't I wouldn't say
he mastered it. If he was here, I said the
same thing I think of anything like he's learned boundaries
which allow you to become a lot more masterful. But
for a while, I think it actually ate him alive,
because I don't know that any of I can speak
for myself at least, you know, I wasn't aware of
just how I was contributing to like abusing his superpower
(25:07):
or his his his willingness and his like just openness,
and there would just be things that I didn't want
to do, Like I wouldn't want to I would be
on tour and we'd be getting asked to do these
interviews and I would be stressed out, under slept, probably hungover,
just not a very good person in those days, and
I would just be like, I'm not doing it and
(25:27):
thinking that then everybody else would be like, ooh, I
guess we're not doing it, and he would just be like, Okay,
well I'll do it. I'm like, I really thought about
how that would add up. You know, he just kind
of took He took a lot of things on. He's
just a nicer person, or at least, you know, back
then I wasn't very kind unfortunately, But so I don't know,
I mean, he's yeah, it's we were so young, and
(25:48):
things that became natural to him. I think had he
kept touring with us and kept figuring all of that out,
I would say he definitely has that potential. But I
don't think any of us really knew how to do what.
We were just sort of doing it, you.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
I feel like now Kenny and I and the rest
of us are fortunate enough to have been around long
enough to like actually take stock of like like how
things happen, how they work, how to get better at them,
how to like be proactive, learn to communicate, Like what
are boundaries? You know, Like how did I do that?
Why did it work? You know versus just a lot
of accidents kind of happening. Yeah, sorry, I took your
(26:24):
question and kind of steered it in a different direction, But.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
No, you didn't.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
And the word I wouldn't use again would be mastering,
because no one really has mastered anything really, We're all
always trying to be better at something, to be better
at ourselves, to be.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Better in relationships.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
So I think master is probably where I took it
off course, But thank you for taking me inside, deep
into the complexities of the head and the heart in
a good way.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I think that's a great word, too, complexity. I think,
like Josiah is just, at the end of the day,
a very complex person in a lot of ways, and
I think early on he contributed to a lot of
why we got started. But like John said, it's like
we've now had Maddie in this band longer than Justsia
was ever a part of the band. So it's been
so long now since those years. But of course when
you're talking about the foundation of the band and where
(27:15):
we came from, then he's a big part of that,
you know, so you have to include in that story.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
So before we talk of the new album and the process,
can you guys, give me a little glimpse personally into
your you know what's on your Spotify playlist, so I
can kind of get a sense of the many different
influences I think exist for both of you.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
I can go requids. Mine will be pretty pretty short.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I am admittedly not the best at researching and discovering
new music, or at least I've noticed since this band
has become a full time thing. But I was in
high school growing up, I was obsessed with finding, you know,
the newest bands that I loved, and was super influen,
inspy all of that. But I also grew up, you know,
(28:02):
with a family and a household that just played you know,
a lot of Beatles and a lot of Semoni Garfunkle
and a lot of CSN and you know Dylan. And
I've always loved that era and that like time in
music more than anything, And I still find myself just
falling back on that most of the time. You know,
if I do listen to music, which I really don't
(28:23):
even listen to music a ton. I listen to a
lot of audio books and podcasts, but I feel like
my years almost need like when I when I listen
to music now it brings me right into creative or
work mode, and so it can be a little exhausting.
But yeah, I tend to listen just to a lot
of the stuff I grew up with, which is the
old classics, and every once in a while I stumble
upon something that I really love and hits me right away.
(28:43):
But yeah, I am admittedly not the best of that
and want to make an effort to listen to more
new music for sure.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
Yeah, it's funny. I think listening to always I was
always really envious of people who had good, like there
was good taste of music in their upbringing, like from
their parents. No offense. I'm sure my mom was probably
listen to this. I mean, it's not that their taste
was bad, but I think when we were being when
we were coming up as kids, there was sort of
the shift of like like, oh, we're parents now, and
(29:13):
like we go to church now, So like, I feel
like a lot of this stuff my mom grew up
with she sort of put aside for a while, so
I didn't even necessarily have access to even what she
was listening to for a while. So for me, it
was like Christian music and like nineties country which I
do love nineties country, but for me it was so
and and I guess in the inverse of that, it
like it left me really hungry for searching for everything
(29:35):
because I had no I had no there was nothing
to be sentimental about music wise. I just had this
like voracious appetite, I guess for everything. So and I
think becoming a songwriter, like you just keep wanting to
you know, it's like, I don't know, you want to
consume everything maybe, but I was sorry. Anyways, my list
(29:57):
is I've got sort of which is my favorite bomber
on the records like nineteen eighty or nineteen eighty one
Cigareros record, it's I Can Never Enya, Love Enya, mob Deep, Nirvana,
the Incesta Side record, which is like a pretty strange album,
(30:19):
and then like like a junk Hole Trane compilation record
from fifty eight. But for me, like whenever i'm making
an album, like I typically need something that's like polar
opposite of what we're working on. Otherwise I'll start comparing
before a song he's even finished, and then I'll be like, oh,
so obvious, you just like went to the chorus again,
John or whatever, or like why why isn't there a chorus?
Speaker 5 (30:40):
John? You know?
Speaker 6 (30:41):
So, so I usually find myself listening to things that can't,
you know, weigh me down in my own creative endeavors
or whatever.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
So yeah, to take you away from that present moment,
so you could focus on that present moment, right, and
not be you know, diverted too far into your influences, right.
Speaker 5 (31:03):
I think it's so interesting too.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I mean just just you know, what people are raised
with based on where they're from in the country. It's like,
you know, you were born in you know, Florida, then
grew up in Virginia. It's like, no wonder, you grew
up listening to tim A. Graw and like and this stuff.
And it's like, I think that's cool that that people
in different areas and upbringings, you know, grew up with
different stuff. I also had like the benefit of having
(31:25):
a sister that is five years older than me, who
was very in tune at a young age to like what.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
She thought was cool.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
She was in a ska band when she was like fourteen,
and then it was just really into like what I
considered cool music early on. So I was lucky in
that way. I was like the kid who was a
freshman at high school with like a wheelco tea shirt
and like listening to radio, had a ton and like
none of my friends like knew all these bands. But
I had the upper hand of having this older sister
(31:52):
who I was really close with, who was just constantly
sharing me or sharing with me new music she was
coming across that I would also loved you, So I
think without her that would have been very obviously the
stuff you grow up with your parents listening. But I
would have been pretty basic, just listening to like alternative
rock radio, you know.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
So tell everybody what they can look forward to with
the new music from the Head and the Heart, the
anxiously awaited new music. Of course, Arrow is out at
this point, which is great congratulations, But can you take
us inside a little bit to what people can expect
from the band.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
I try really hard not to sound too repetitive, because
we obviously get asked this question frequently enough and it
starts to become like a scripted thing in your mind,
which I would like to avoid.
Speaker 5 (32:41):
But I do think this album will cater very heavily
to our earlier fans.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
I think it's the first record, it's our sixth LP
it's our first album since our second that we self produce.
We self produced our first two, so it's the first one.
We did three records on a major label and between
and we definitely like tried all the production stuff and
maybe a little overproduced sometimes and really tried to like
have some radio hits here and there. And this does
(33:11):
feel like we've kind of gone back to, like, how
did we make music when we started, and that was
trusting our gut, trusting each other in the band, not
worrying about any outside sources, you know, and just doing
it and putting out what we like and what's feeling
right to us. And this whole process felt felt like
(33:33):
we kind of had just decided to go back to that.
We did a bunch of trips to Richmond, Virginia and
Seattle to do writing, and the writing kind of turned
it into recording in real time because we were just
getting takes that we really liked, and so a lot
of the songs on the record you're hearing live takes
for the most part, that were maybe even recorded the
(33:54):
day we wrote the song or the day after we
kind of like finished composing or finishing. I didn't finish
touches to a song, So it's very raw in that sense.
There's not a ton of production tricks or stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
You know.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
I think I think it's gonna Like I said, I think.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Our early fans are going to be really happy with
it and really excited. It's maybe gonna feel in a
way like they kind of got their banded back a
little bit, you know that they maybe loved early on
but haven't loved as much like as we try to
do more produce sounding music.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
But yeah, it's just quality. I think it just sounds
and feels good and happy. Like there's a positivity to it.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Like not all the lyrics in the songs they're all
hunky Dorian positive.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
But it makes me feel good.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
There's a lot of really good driving songs, like road
trip songs.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
Yeah, it's just been a really great experience.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
And we kind of were talking about this a couple
of weeks ago, and it's wild that it dawned on us,
but this is we realized that maybe the first record
that all six of us as the group right now
have ever made together with all of us, like every
single record either was before the Justia and mattew switch
happened or was during a period where somebody in the
(35:06):
band was not a part of it, you know, like
either I was not a part of a recording process
or writing process, or somebody else said take a time off.
And so this is the first time that the six
of us all were you know, in it from the
very beginning, and you know, have our signatures all over it,
and it just feels the most like us than maybe
I've ever heard.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
And it's a fair to say, even though it goes
down some paths that certainly are through you know, elements
of darkness, that it comes out in the sense, you know,
with optimism and brightness, you know, ultimately is that a
fair assessment totally?
Speaker 2 (35:46):
And that's kind of been one of the you know,
even getting into the album campaign and artwork and what
we want it to look like physically and visually, that's
been an ongoing It's just like the light opening the
or it's letting the light in. That's like a theme
that we pretty much has pretty much been spearheading this process.
I'd say, it's really like getting through dark times, and
(36:10):
and there's songwriting that's about those dark times and about rough,
you know, hard things. But it really does feel like
it's like we got through that and this is almost
the almost the closure in a lot of ways on
some of those things, and moving forward into like a
lighter time in our lives and a lighter time in
this band's history.
Speaker 6 (36:30):
John, Yeah, I mean that was such an excellent description,
don't I don't. I don't want to steer it away
from any of that. I love that you said it's
like we got it like that you were saying some
of those early fans might sound like they got their
band back. I feel like we got our band back too.
Like we're all like we were intentional and united before
(36:50):
we started writing, which is just you know, when you
all live together in the same town and like you
don't have a whole lot of complications in your life,
like that just kind of map really falls into place.
But when you when you're living in different cities, life
starts happening, families are getting started, you know, like, and
it's time to make a record. Not everyone is in sync,
not everyone's feeling creative, Not everyone's in a good place.
(37:14):
And I guess, you know, I don't even know that
I was necessarily in a good place when we started
writing this, but but we at least artistically speaking, we
had pretty like specific intentions and a huge part of
that was working without a producer again and just letting
our own writing have its voice again and really let
a lot of things remain. So yeah, I feel like
(37:36):
we got our band back too. Like I love this record,
Like yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
When we get.
Speaker 6 (37:42):
Further and further from like people thinking of artists putting
out albums, it's a little bit of a bummer for
me because I personally still listen to albums, even if
it's in a digital format. I just hope people do
that because this is an album.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
I think they will for sure.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
I want to close with something that I think is
so cool about this band, uh and you guys, And
it's this this sort of hidden gem factor where there
are these songs that are hidden gems that sort of
pop out, not that you know they're they're buried or whatever,
but they're just there're these these gems that are found.
(38:21):
And the one that that I think of is is
Winter Song. What is the mystery of this band and
the hidden gem factor? Can you explain this? I think
it's fascinating.
Speaker 6 (38:31):
I think we just don't give up on a song,
like every song means something to us. So even if
it isn't like even even even if it isn't like,
if it's not raising its hand for like a single
like we didn't, we didn't put songs on the record
that till us didn't mean something. That's my only guy,
I'm guessing in real time, Kenny, I would love to
hear No.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
Yeah, I think that's totally true.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
I think that are like one thing I'm most proud
of as far as being in this band is are
just the depth of the catalog. I think that anybody
who you know likes this type of music or in general,
would maybe like a band like ours. I think if
they really took a deep dive. I don't think our
albums have too many weak points, you know. I think
there are tracks that are kind of deeper that aren't
(39:15):
singles and they're not on the radio, that are my
favorite songs, And the real fans that you know have
been to a bunch of shows and have listened to
the album's front to back are always requesting those songs.
It's not the single that everybody knows. I think there's
a lot there that people haven't heard, and I would
suggest or like really try to push anybody who is
interested in our band to really give the whole albums
(39:38):
like a chance, you know, don't just listen to the singles.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
I think you'll find songs that.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Are deeper in there that you might like as much
or more than what you're hearing on the radio.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
You know, there's a good variety, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
And I think also one thing is that just a
band of six people that all writes, you know, it's
not like there's of course they're singers, and there's people
that are songs that are writing lyrics, and there's a
difference there. But it's not like it's one person's project
and there's five people backing it. We're all invested in
a way to where there's writing happening all the time individually.
(40:09):
And so I think you're getting colors, you know, the
palette is just very colorful, and you're getting sounds that
maybe only Charity could think of, and melodies that only
she could think of, and you're getting stuff that only
I would be able to think of. You know, Winter
Song as as an example, that was like a guitar
song that I came up with in high school that
I just really liked fingerpicking and thought it was pretty.
And when we first met, I had just showed just
(40:31):
I and John that and it was like, that's nice.
Let's like add lyrics and melody over that, and there's
that song.
Speaker 5 (40:36):
You know.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
It's like there's a million different ways that we can
come at making a song. And I think because of that,
you you just get a really beautiful variety, you know.
I think you get a lot of like I said,
a lot of color, and it doesn't get old, you know,
It's not just the same thing.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
Drilled India over and over and over again, I think.
And that's something I love about this band.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Well, I could have talked to you guys forever. It's
really been a joy to connect with you.
Speaker 4 (41:02):
And I got to say, you know, for a band
like The Head and the Heart, this is certainly why
I got into the business that I got into being
in and around, you know, music and radio and the
creation of things. It's so beautiful to hear it from
your perspective, and I have to thank you so much
(41:24):
for continuing to give us this amazing music. Congrats on
the new music, and thanks for sharing all of the
inside backstory of everything.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
It really was wonderful.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
Of course, thanks so much. That was a really, really
fun time.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Lynn Hoffman
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